2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony: Messi and Bonmatí take home the trophy | Full list of award winners
2023 Ballon d’Or: as it happened
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No sooner are the tables being cleared and parties being enjoyed, than people begin thinking about what players are likely to take the top spots in Ballons d'Or to come.
Messi already made his thoughts clear and Manu and Calum consider the hottest young prospects of the future.
That’s all from us. World Cup winners Lionel Messi and Aitana Bonmatí take home the Ballon d'Or awards.
Thanks for your company today.
See you soon!
List of award winners
Aitana Bonmatí - Women's Ballon d'Or
Lionel Messi - Men's Ballon d'Or
Vinícius Júnior - Socrates Trophy
Erling Haaland - Gerd Müller Trophy
Jude Bellingham - Kopa Trophy
Manchester City - Club of the Year
Emiliano Martínez - Yashin Trophy
FC Barcelona - Women's Club of the Year
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It was a gala night for Major League Soccer as Inter Miami star Lionel Messi became the first player from a team outside of Europe to win the Ballon d’Or.
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Lionel Messi extends his Ballon d'Or lead over Cristiano Ronaldo.
Lionel Messi is joined on stage by his three sons after winning the 2023 Ballon d'Or / MOHAMMED BADRA / EFE
Ballon d'Or 2023
Lionel Messi is joined on stage by his three sons after collecting his eighth Ballon d'Or.
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The 23-year-old received the honour for his humanitarian work. Vinicius’ foundation, Vini.Jr Institute, funds an educational app for underprivileged children in Brazil.
The app provides free access to educational resources for children. This year his personal contribution to the foundation is set to exceed $1 million and will rise to $2.5 million in 2024.
"This comes on the back of what I achieved with Argentina. We came here with Lautaro, Juli, Dibu... it's a gift for the group and for the whole coaching staff. It's a gift for Argentina and for what we achieved.
"I don't want to leave without talking about Haaland and Mbappé... they had spectacular seasons. I have no doubt that they are going to win this award.
"I want to remember Diego (Maradona) on his birthday. There are many players here who loved football as much as he did."
Messi's three sons have joined him on the stage for a magical moment for his family.
At the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, Messi signed off with seven goals and three assists, two in the final, defeating France and Mbappé, his former PSG team-mate.
The Argentine star has beaten Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé, who both, you imagine, will eventually have their time.
"They are special, these awards, but the most important thing is the collective."
Messi wins the Ballon d'Or for the eighth time!
Messi wins it again!
The best ever!
And the 2023 Ballon d'Or winner is... Lionel Messi
Haaland, Mbappé or Messi?
Who is it going to be?
"I owe Sir Bobby Charlton everything. We'll miss him dearly. He'll be missed greatly by the footballing world."
"Paris is a very special city for me. And on the field, it was even more special. To win the club's first title in 19 years was very special. I played my 100th game for my country here, too."
David Beckham takes to the stage!
We're getting closer to the Men's Ballon d'Or winner!
Women's top 5!
Australia's Sam Kerr finishes in second place, while Salma is third. So much talent in that top 5!
Aitana: "This is a dream for me. I'm so lucky to be able to play for a club like Barcelona."
Bonmatí: "I wouldn't be here without my team-mates.
"Thanks to my family, friends and those who help out."
Women's Ballon d'Or winner
Aitana Bonmatí is the winner!
Women's 2023 Ballon d'Or
We're getting closer!
7. Alexandra Popp (Wolfsburg and Germany)
6. Olga Carmona (Barcelona and Spain)
5. Mary Earps (Manchester United and England)
Man City midfielder Bernardo Silva: “We have so many nominees in both the men’s and women’s categories... it’s a sign that the club is doing something great.”
Ferran Soriano, City CEO, says: "We're here because of these extraordinary players, but behind the scenes, there are many people working extremely hard."
Man City: treble winners
Man City win the Club of the Year award!
FC Barcelona Femení win best Women's club.
Haaland's advice
"It's my job to score! If I'm going to give advice, it would be to stay sharp and to stay hungry.
"I have amazing team-mates and I'm at an amazing club."
Haaland scored an incredible 52 goals in 53 games for Man City last season!
We're watching a montage of those goals now.
Erling Haaland on winning the award: "I'd like to thank everyone close to me."
Erling Haaland wins the Gerd Muller Trophy
Lineker presents the trophy to the Man City striker.
Gary Lineker will present the Gerd Muller Trophy!
And his father joins him on stage. It's an emotional moment between the pair. Leo Messi looks on with a huge smile on his face.
Martínez won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina in Qatar.
Yashin Trophy winner: Emiliano Martínez
Emiliano Martínez wins the Yashin Trophy award!
Yashin Trophy
It's time for the Yashin Trophy!
Modric is in the top 10
Victor Osimhen comes in 8th place after helping Napoli to the Serie A title last season.
Man City's Bernardo Silva is 9th.
Ballon d'Or Top 10
We’re now in the top 10!
Luka Modric (10th)
Bernardo Silva (9th)
Victor Osimhen (8th)
Vinícius Júnior recognised for work off the pitch
He continues to use his platforms to help those less fortunate.
Vinícius Jr wins the Socrates award!
The Real Madrid player has picked up the award for the work he has done to help children in Brazil.
The Brazil international has invested a reported €4m for his Vini Jr. Institute, an education app for students from poor backgrounds.
Drogba also thanks Vinícius for the work he has done to tackle racism around the world.
Kopa top 3
Jamal Musiala has finished second for the 2023 Kopa Trophy, while Barcelona midfielder Pedri is third.
Kopa Trophy winner: Jude Bellingham
Bellingham was excellent for Borussia Dortmund, who he helped guide to a Bundesliga title race last season.
He has scored 13 goals in 13 games for Real Madrid this season.
Jude Bellingham on stage: "I want to thank everyone who has gotten me to this point. The support means a lot."
And the winner of the Kopa Trophy is Jude Bellingham!
Kopa Trophy
It's time to present the winner of the Kopa Trophy!
Eden Hazard is welcomed onto the stage and is speaking about his recent retirement from the beautiful game.
Drogba to tonight's nominees: "Thank you for being the best ambassadors."
All of tonight's nominees (male and female) are being welcomed onto the stage in pairs.
Bellingham and Haaland walk out together to applause from the crowd.
Didier Drogba and Sandy Heribert are presenting tonight's ceremony.
Drogba welcomes David Beckham and Gary Lineker to Paris.
We're live from Paris!
Last year's Men's top 3
1) Karim Benzema
2) Sadio Mané
3) Kevin De Bruyne
I'm still trying to get my head around Antoine Griezmann finishing 21st. How?
We're about to get underway in Paris!
Who is going to win tonight?
It's all about to be revealed!
Bellingham and Vinícius / STEPHANIE LECOCQ / REUTERS
2023 Ballon d'Or
Bellingham and Vinícius pose together at tonight's gala in Paris.
Kylian Mbappé is next to shuffle through the carpet.
The 24-year-old scored goals (club goals) number 250 and 251 in PSG's 3-2 Ligue 1 win on Sunday.
He is likely to miss out this time around, but is quite probably a future Ballon d'Or winner.
The Messi family has arrived! They've come in later than most.
Tonight is expected to be Ballon d'Or number eight for the 2022 World Cup winner!
David Beckham is here. Paris is a city he knows quite well from his time at Paris Saint-Germain. The Inter Miami co-owner signs autographs and poses for selfies as he approaches the red carpet.
Beckham is well used to the cameras, as they flash in front of him on the red carpet in Paris. He has spent some time with Lionel Messi since the Argentine forward joined his club and will be hoping he clinches his eighth Ballon d'Or today. He recently admitted that it took several years to get the Messi to Miami deal over the line.
Where is the Ballon d'Or taking place?
The Ballon d’Or gala is taking place at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France.
The ceremony itself is expected to get underway at 3:45pm ET/12:45pm PT.
"I'm really happy to have played in El Clásico, it was a really emotional game for me. It gives me goosebumps playing for Real Madrid!
"This award [Ballon d'Or] is one you think of winning when you're a kid."
Real Madrid boys arrive
Real Madrid stars Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior have arrived and it's fair to say they've put the effort into their suits tonight!
Ballon d'Or trophy
In its current guise, the Ballon d’Or trophy - which, as its French name suggests, takes the form of a golden football - is widely reported to be worth somewhere in the region of €3,000 ($2,920). Including its pyrite base, the award measures 31 cm in height and 23 cm in diameter and weighs just over 7 kg.
Made with two brass plates that are soldered together to create the shape of a ball, the trophy is filled with a wax-like material and, on the outside, is bathed in gold.
Haaland in Paris
Erling is here. He had an outstanding season last year, scoring 52 goals in 53 games for City.
He also has 37 goals in 33 UEFA Champions League games.
He's 23!
Erling Haaland poses on the red carpet with his girlfriend and is followed by Manchester City team-mate Rodri.
The pair won the treble with City in 2022-23.
"It's going to be a great night with a lot of great footballers in the same room."
Salah finishes in 11th place
In case you missed it!
Liverpool forward Mo Salah has come 11th this year.
"I'm here at the awards because my kids asked me to come and we're going to spend the night together in Paris."
Women’s Ballon d’Or
In the Women’s Ballon d’Or, 50 journalists from across the globe select their top five players from a 30-strong shortlist, with the same points process applied as in the Men’s Ballon d’Or.
Spain's Aitana Bonmatí is in town and is expected to pick up the award tonight.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has turned up and poses on the red carpet with his partner.
The 22-year-old forward had an excellent 2022-23 campaign with Serie A winners Napoli.
How are the recipients of the Ballon d’Or awards decided?
For the Men’s Ballon d’Or, 100 journalists from around the world, each representing a different country in the top-ranked FIFA nations, are asked to choose five footballers from a 30-player shortlist, in descending order of merit.
The players on each journalist’s list are awarded points, as follows:
First: Six points
Second: Four points
Third: Three points
Fourth: Two points
Fifth: One point
The award then goes to the player who earns the highest amount of points in the voting process. If two or more players are tied on points, the number of first-place votes they received is used as a tie-breaker.
Robert Lewandowski - 12th
Just in!
Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski is 12th!
Will he be pleased with that?
Emi Martínez has landed, but there is still no sign of his compatriot Lionel Messi, the favorite to win tonight!
The guests are beginning to arrive at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, and some are getting their photo taken on the red carpet ahead of the Ballon d'Or ceremony.
Morocco's Yassine Bounou / MATTHEW CHILDS / REUTERS
Yassine Bounou
Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has been selected in 14th place, while another goalkeeper comes out next. This time, it's Morocco's Yassine Bounou, who ends up 13th, after his heroics at the World Cup in Qatar.
Real Madrid and Barcelona lead the men’s Ballon d’Or
The Ballon d’Or is indeed regarded as an individual accolade. However, Inter Miami is on the cusp of potentially joining the prestigious list of teams whose player has won the award for the best men’s player of the year presented by France Football.
With up to 67 awards having been bestowed (the inaugural gala was held in 1956, but it was exclusively for Europeans until 1995), clubs such as FC Barcelona (12), Real Madrid (12), AC Milan (8), Juventus (8), Bayern Munich (5), Manchester United (4), and Inter Milan (2) are among those whose players have clinched the award at some point.
World Cup winner
Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martínez is out next, coming in 15th place.
Dibu, as he's known, won the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar, where he was pivotal for Lionel Scaloni's charges.
Top 15
We're now heading into the top 15 players for the 2023 Ballon d'Or...
Karim Benzema - 16th
Last year's winner - Karim Benzema - is 16th year.
Benzema scored 50 goals on the way to lifting the 2022 Ballon d'Or, was a LaLiga winner and also a Champions League winner.
The former Real Madrid man now plies his trade with Saudi side Al-Ittihad.
Djibril Cissé has landed and the former France forward is rocking his latest hairstyle. Never in doubt, Djibril.
With Lionel Messi leading the way in Ballon D’Or wins, Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo is the second most decorated player in Ballon d’Or history, with five titles won from 2008 to 2017.
Life must be pretty good for Jude right now!
A future Ballon d'Or winner? He is the favourite to land the Kopa Trophy later!
Jude Bellingham - 18th
It's the man of the moment. Bellingham has been exceptional for Real Madrid this season, with 13 goals in 13 games for Los Blancos.
He was also pretty good last season, almost guiding Borussia Dortmund to the Bundesliga title, until that devastating late collapse.
Griezmann at 21
Antoine Griezmann comes in at 21st. Griezmann is extremely underrated and is one of France's all-time greats as well as one of Atlético Madrid's all-time greats. He doesn't get the credit he deserves though. A brilliant footballer.
Where is the Ballon d'Or taking place?
The Ballon d’Or gala will take place at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France.
The red carpet event is scheduled to begin at 2pm ET/11am PT, while the ceremony itself is expected to get underway at 3:45pm ET/12:45pm PT.
Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana is out next in 23rd place, while Bayern Munich centre-back Kim Min-jae is in 22nd.
Onana has had a mixed start to life at Old Trafford but pulled off some exceptional saves against Manchester City on Sunday.
Bukayo Saka
In 24th place is Bukayo Saka, who has been superb for Arsenal.
The England winger is a key part of Mikel Arteta's side at the Emirates Stadium.
Remember that in addition to the men’s and women’s Ballons d’Or, a number of other awards are to be presented at the gala. They include the Kopa Trophy, for the best under-21 men’s player, and the Yashin Trophy, for the best men’s goalkeeper.
Rankings revealed
The ranking reveal for the 2023 Men's Ballon d'Or has begun...
Manchester City captain Ruben Dias is 30th, while tied in 28th place are Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard and France forward Randal Kolo Muani.
Inter's Nicolo Barella is in 27th and the wonderfully gifted Jamal Musiala of Bayern Munich sits in 26th place.
Lionel Messi has won the men’s Ballon d’Or in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021.
No other player in history has received the award as often as the Barcelona legend, who spent a trophy-laden 17 seasons in the Blaugrana first team before leaving for a two-year spell at Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.
After Messi, the second-most frequent winner of the men’s Ballon d’Or is Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scooped the prize five times: in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
The 2023 Yashin Trophy nominees
Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal)
Ederson (Manchester City)
Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Dominik Livakovic (Fenerbahçe)
Mike Maignan (AC Milan)
Brice Samba (RC Lens)
Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa)
André Onana (Manchester United)
Marc-André ter Stegen (Barcelona)
The Yashin Trophy
The Yashin Trophy - named after Russian goalkeeper Lev Yashin - sees its winner be selected by former Ballon d’Or winners. The trophy is awarded to the best goalkeeper across the season.
The award, which was founded in 2019, was won by Liverpool’s Alisson Becker in its inaugural year, by Gianluigi Donnarumma in 2021 and by Thibaut Courtois in 2022. In 2020, France Football decided against handing out the award in a coronavirus-impacted year.
Kylian Mbappé was a key part of Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 success last season, scoring 29 goals.
In an epic 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, Mbappé scored a hat-trick against Argentina to lift the Golden Boot award, with eight goals for France.
He may just fall short this time, but at 24, he does still have time on his side.
What did Erling Haaland do last season?
Eh, quite a lot!
Here's a look at Haaland's stats in 2022-23.
Haaland made 53 appearances for Manchester City last season and scored 52 goals in all competitions. An incredible first season at City, as you probably already know.
The Norwegian marksman was also the top scorer in the Premier League in 2022-23 with 36 goals, the highest-ever individual tally in a single season in the competition.
To add to the above, the former Borussia Dortmund star was the top scorer in the Champions League, netting 12 times in 11 games for Pep Guardiola's side, who went on to beat Inter in the final.
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France Football has been awarding the Kopa Trophy since 2018, although in 2020, the magazine organisers decided against handing out the award in a coronavirus-impacted year.
There have been four winners thus far:
2022 - Gavi (Pablo Martín Páez Gavira)
2021 - Pedri (Pedro González López)
2019 - Matthijs de Ligt
2018 - Kylian Mbappé
What is the Super Ballon d’Or
The Super Ballon d’Or was awarded on 24 December 1989. The award was to commemorate the 30th anniversary of France Football Magazine.
Alfredo Di Stéfano
The great Alfredo Di Stéfano was the recipient of the prize, with the Argentinian pipping Johan Cruyff and Michel Platini in the vote. Only European players were considered for the award, and Di Stéfano was on the list of nominees due to his Spanish citizenship. The French publication, France Football, has only awarded the prize on one occasion.
Di Stéfano remains as the only player to have ever won the Super Ballon d’Or. The Real Madrid legend also won the actual Ballon d’Or award on two occasions in the 1950s, in 1957 and 1959, during an era of Real Madrid dominance. Di Stéfano helped Madrid to win the first five consecutive European Cups between 1956 and 1960.
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Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola believes Erling Haaland deserves to win the Ballon d’Or this year.
Haaland has been nominated for the award after scoring 52 goals in City’s treble-winning campaign in 2022-23 - the Norwegian’s first season at the club.
But there is a twist; Guardiola also believes Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi should win the award.
“I always said that the Ballon d’Or had to be of two sections - one for Messi and one for the others,” said the former FC Barcelona boss.
“Haaland should win. We won the treble because he scored 52 goals but, of course, Messi - his worst season is the best of most players. Both deserve it.
“Egotistically, I would say I want Erling because he helped us to achieve what we achieved, I would love it - but I won’t tell you it’s unfair if Leo wins.
“It’s nice that many players for Man City will be there for the first time in many years and challenging for these trophies. That makes us so proud for our organisation.”
Georgia Stanway / FRANCK FIFE / AFP
Stanway laments Ballon d'Or timing
Speaking ahead of England's UEFA Nations League clash away to Belgium, Georgia Stanway questioned the timing of holding the Ballon d'Or with many women's teams across Europe preparing games in the competition.
"You want to feel like a star among the stars. We've got a game tomorrow, but if it was planned a little better then it would be easier for a lot of female footballers to be there."
Stanway is shortlisted in the Women's Ballon d'Or category.
2022 award winners: recap
Here's a look back at how the 2022 gala unfolded and a rundown of the winners per category.
Men's award: Karim Benzema
Women's award: Alexia Putellas
Kopa Trophy: Gavi
Yashin Trophy: Thibaut Courtois
Gerd Müller Trophy: Robert Lewandowski
Sócrates Award: Sadio Mané
Club of the Year: Manchester City
Ballon d'Or gala hosts
This year's ceremony will once again be hosted by former player Didier Drogba and as yet it's not confirmed if the Ivorian star will be joined again by Sandy Heribert (French television host) who co-presented the 2021 & 2022 edition with the former player.
Messi vs Haaland
Leo Messi and Erling Haaland are expected to be in contention for the 2023 Ballon d'Or men's award with our friends at SofaScore giving the Argentine a higher Opta stats rating over the Norwegian.
Deciding the Ballon d'Or
A select number of global journalists from are asked to vote for their top five players.
The criteria given to the media are:
Individual and collective performances during the year
Player class in terms of fair play and talent
An overall judgement of the player’s career
Yashin Trophy: nominees
Yassine Bounou (Sevilla/Al-Hilal/Morocco)
Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Mike Maignan (AC Milan)
Marc-André ter Stegen (Barcelona)
Ederson (Manchester City)
Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa-Argentina)
André Onana (Inter Milan/Manchester United)
Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Dominik Livakovic (Croatia and Dinamo Zagreb)
Brice Samba (Lens)
EMILIANO DIBU MARTINEZ / JESUS ALVAREZ ORIHUELA / DIARIO AS
Dibu and Bono, favourites for the Yashin Trophy
Real Madrid goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, aspires to repeat his victory in the last edition of the Yashin Trophy, although the Belgian is not the favorite this time. The two big favorites are Aston Villa keeper and World Cup winner with Argentina, Dibu Martínez and Morocco international and former Sevilla shot stopper, Yassine Bounou.
Jude Bellingham. / Antonio Villalba / Real Madrid via Getty Images
Who are the 2023 Kopa Trophy nominees?
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) - already lined up for the Golden Boy award
Gavi (Barcelona)
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid)
Pedri (Barcelona)
Xavi Simons (RB Leipzig)
Alejandro Balde (Barcelona)
Antonio Silva (Benfica)
Rasmus Hojlund (Manchester United)
Elye Wahi (Lens)
Bonmatí and Paralluelo head to Paris
Spain internationals, Aitana Bonmatí and Salma Paralluelo make their way from Zurich (Spain play Switzerland in the Nations League on Tuesday) to Paris, ahead of the gala event.
Full Ballon d'Or nominees reminder
Here's the shortlist for both the men's and women's award.
Remember, as of 5:15 pm (CET) 10:15 am (ET), France Football will start the countdown from 30 backwards.
Alexandra Popp / IMAGO/Sven Simon
Ballon d'Or 2023: women's favourites
Alexandra Popp - Wolfsburg/Germany
Popp is by far the most experienced player among this year’s candidates. Capped 133 times by Germany, she is the third top scorer of all-time for the national team with 66 goals. At club level, she is one of the most decorated players in the Frauen-Bundesliga having won the league seven times with Wolfsburg and finishing last season as the top scorer with 16 goals. Popp and her team lifted the DFB-Pokal Frauen in May - the club’s 10th title, a record. But there was disappointment in the Champions League - Popp was on target in the final, but Die Wölfinnen ended losing 3-2 to Barcelona. There was some consolation as she was voted Women’s Footballer of the Year for the first time.
Earps / WILLIAM WEST / AFP
Ballon d'Or 2023: women's favourites
Mary Earps - Man United/England
Keeper Mary Earps is another name cited as an outside favourite with the 30-year-old delivering a series of dazzling performances at the 2023 World Cup as the the Lionesses advanced to the final, only to succumb to an Olga Carmona goal as Spain lifted the title.
Aitana Bonmati / CRISTINA QUICLER / AFP
Ballon d'Or 2023: women's favourites
Aitana Bonmati - FC Barcelona/Spain
Midfielder Bonmatí, who starred for Spain as they clinched their first ever World Cup this summer in Australia, is tipped to succeed club and international team-mate Alexia Putellas as the winner of the Ballon d’Or Féminin in 2022. The 23-year-old has already been named UEFA Women’s Player of the Year and was instrumental in La Roja’s debut Women’s World Cup glory.
Ballon d'Or: global guide
Whether you're tuning into the awards from Shanghai, Miami or Buenos Aires, this handy tweet (X) post from the Ballon d'Or account has you covered in terms of start times.
Kylian Mbappe / FRED TANNEAU / AFP
Ballon d'Or 2023: men's favourites
Kylian Mbappé - PSG/France
Another solid favourite is Kylian Mbappe, who won the Golden Boot at the World Cup in Qatar, scoring eight times for France, including a hat-trick in the final. The fact Les Bleus ended up on the losing side could count against him, however, as might Paris Saint-Germain’s poor form for much of 2023 with the Parisians crashing out of the Champions League at the hands of Bayern Munich.
Erling Haaland / ADAM VAUGHAN / EFE
Ballon d'Or 2023: men's favourites
Erling Haaland - Man City/Norway
In any other year, Manchester City striker Erling Haaland would be a shoe-in for the award as the 23-year-old striker secured a historic treble (Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League) with City in his debut season with the English side scoring 52 goals across all competitions in his debut season for the club.
The Norwegian will undoubtedly grace future award ceremonies with City boss Pep Guardiola recently stating: “I always said that the Ballon d’Or had to be of two sections - one for Messi and one for the others. Haaland should win. We won the treble because he scored 52 goals but, of course, Messi - his worst season is the best of most players. Both deserve it”.
Lionel Messi / MATT KELLEY / Getty Images via AFP
Ballon d'Or 2023: men's favourites
Leo Messi - Inter Miami/Argentina
Messi seems set to add to his collection of seven Ballon d’Or trophies on Monday night as the current MLS star appears set to be rewarded for leading Argentina to their first World Cup in 36 years - and The Herons to their first ever trophy with their 2023 Leagues Cup earlier this summer.
The Rosario native bagged seven goals at the Qatar 2022 World Cup and after the Albiceleste were stunned in their Lusail opener falling to Saudi Arabia (2-1), Messi led the way to the delight of the thousands of Argentine fans who made the trip to the Gulf to see the South American side add to their 1978 and 1986 triumphs.
Ballon d'Or gala 2023: headlines
- Ceremony due to start in Paris at 8:45pm CET/3:45pm ET
- France Football to start counting down award rankings at 5:15pm CEST/10:15am ET
- Leo Messi is firm favourite to win an eighth men's Ballon d'Or
- Aitana Bonmati tipped to win women's Ballon d'Or
- Five other awards to be handed out in French capital
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Ballon d'Or awards: timetable
Here is a breakdown of the timetable for tonight's ceremony:
Red Carpet - 1930 CET / 2:30 pm (ET) / 11:30 am (PT)
Ceremony - 2045 CET / 3:45 pm (ET) / 12:45 pm (PT)
2023 Ballon d'Or (debrief, speeches etc) - 2240 CET / 5:45 pm (ET) / 2:45 pm (PT)
The seven awards up for grabs tonight
In total, seven awards are due to be handed out in the French capital today. In addition to the men's and women's Ballons d'Or, we also have:
- the Yashin Trophy, for the world's outstanding men's goalkeeper
- the Kopa Trophy, for the best under-21 men's player
- the Müller Trophy, for the globe's top-performing men's striker
- the men's Club of The Year Award
- and the Socrates Award, which Ballon d'Or organisers France Football say “will identify the best solidarity actions carried out by committed champions”.
Paris' Theatre du Chatelet,
Tonight's venue is one of the French capital's hotspots for musicals with the cast and set of West Side Story having to take back stage tonight as the creme du la creme of the footballing world take centre stage in Paris.
Hello! In about six hours' time, the 2023 Ballon d'Or gala will get underway at Paris' Theatre du Chatelet, where we'll find out who has been chosen as last season's outstanding players in men's and women's soccer.
We'll bring you all the latest from Paris as well as the arrival of the players and delegates from the world of football on the red carpet that leads to the theatre,